Togadia’s Hindutva agenda makes it tough for Narendra Modi

NEW DELHI: Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Praveen Togadia, a rival of Gujarat chief minister within the Sangh Parivar, on Sunday attempted to queer the pitch for Narendra Modi by saying that his organisation's support for his prime ministerial bid was contingent upon an explicit support to the Hindutva agenda.

"Any prime ministerial aspirant should not forget that the road to Delhi passes through Ayodhya. The saffron cadre on the ground will only support such a leader who swears by the Hindu nation, the Ram temple and is ready to scrap Article 370," Togadia said.

This assertion of Togadia cannot but be discomforting for Modi because it does not gel with Modi's plans to contest the coming election on a neutral turf. His recent speeches, particularly the one he made at a college campus in Delhi, suggest that he is not keen on fighting the election over pet issues of the Sangh, but on the mainstream development-related issues.

Togadia, who appears determined to complicate matters for Modi, suggested that attempts at image transformation will not carry credibility. "There's a Togadia behind the Modi mask.

In the interview, he also denied that VHP had endorsed the candidature of Modi for the top post at its Kumbh gathering. "The VHP conclave didn't pass any resolution supporting anybody. It's BJP's decision to project a leader of their choice. There was only a handful of seers who voiced support for Modi. There was no official endorsement," he said.